


of roommates and movies

by daisyrachel



Series: timecanary week 2k17 [1]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012), DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Mentions of Cancer, Roommates, rip is a jerk but he learns, they don't know how to handle emotions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-23
Updated: 2017-07-23
Packaged: 2018-12-05 21:20:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11586405
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daisyrachel/pseuds/daisyrachel
Summary: It was a classic case of boy tells his best friend he’s in love with her, girl doesn’t reciprocate, boy drinks too much and becomes an asshole, boy and girl don’t talk for ten months, girl shows up on boy’s doorstep drunk to say that she misses watching movies with him.+written for timecanary week 2k17 day 1: roommates au





	of roommates and movies

**Author's Note:**

> this idea just wouldn't stop bothering and it's kind of uneven but pls enjoy !!!

Sara had moved in with Rip after she broke up with Nyssa. Rip knew it had been a nasty breakup, something to do with Nyssa being too desperate for her father’s approval. Rip knew he wasn’t even the first choice, Sara had originally been living with Laurel and Tommy, but she had gotten sick of them being “all coupley” as she had described it.

 

Which is how she ended up on his doorstep, soaking wet, with all her possessions in three suitcases. She moved in that night.

 

Rip was worried. They had only just started to mend their relationship after taking, well, a yearlong break. It was a classic case of boy tells his best friend he’s in love with her, girl doesn’t reciprocate, boy drinks too much and becomes an asshole, boy and girl don’t talk for ten months, girl shows up on boy’s doorstep drunk to say that she misses watching movies with him.

 

And here they were, three months later, as roommates. And while Rip didn’t love her anymore, well, he did. So he was going to sideline himself and try to remain sane.

 

+

 

Things were cautious. They were careful around each other, and, well, Rip _hated_ it. They used to have such an easy friendship, full of affection and laughter. She was all smiles and sarcasm around him, but now she was polite, acting like a guest in the apartment she had now been living in for the better part of five months.

 

He had told her that she didn’t have to ask to use the milk, but she did anyway. She wouldn’t shower without asking. And Rip was sick of it, so he suggested the only thing he could think of; a movie night.

 

Sara looked at him quizzically, but agreed. “Only if we’re watching Lethal Weapon,” she had said, probably testing him. He had smiled and agreed.

 

So five hours later saw them sitting on opposite ends of the couch, eating popcorn. Well, Rip was eating popcorn. Sara was _inhaling_ it; one of the many abilities Rip had forgotten she’d had. However, the normally meant she ran out of popcorn about thirty minutes into the movie. Usually, she’d just slide over and start stealing his, but he wouldn’t allow himself to hope. When she asked, he’d direct her to the secret stash he had in the cupboard.

 

But she didn’t. She sighed and slid over, wrapping herself around him and slowly picking up popcorn from his bowl. He looked at her confused, and she glared back at him. “Don’t think this changes anything,” she said, and went back to watching the movie. Rip smiled despite himself.

 

+

 

Despite what Sara had said that night, things _had_ changed. They were talking again, the way they used to, about everything and nothing at all. There was more touching, and Sara was smiling at him again. They weren’t like they used to be, but they were better, they were improving.

 

She also was less afraid to put herself out there. She’d drink orange juice straight from the carton. She’d track mud through the house without cleaning up after herself. Sara was starting to be more comfortable around him, and Rip couldn’t be happier.

 

Well, except for one thing.

 

Sara had a habit. It wasn’t necessarily a bad one, just one that Rip would learn how to deal with. He had forgotten about it, but Sara had a strong distaste for clothes in general, but especially pants.

 

In short, Sara was constantly walking around their shared apartment in various states of undress.

 

Rip was going to stay calm, cool, and collected. He had come too far to let his _emotions_ get in the way of him and Sara being friends again. He wasn’t going to let anything, including her semi-nakedness ruin everything he had worked so hard for.

 

He wouldn’t admit it, but he had gotten into the habit of shutting his eyes whenever she walked into a room.

 

+

 

They had been living together for about nine months when Sara starts yelling at Rip for _no fucking reason whatsoever_. She claimed that he hadn’t taken out the trash, but he showed her the empty trashcan.

 

And she _lost it_. She was screaming out him, and he didn’t even know what about, and then suddenly her lips were on his, and _oh my god did he initiate this? He didn’t remember initiating this_.

 

And all of a sudden Sara was off him, apologizing, saying things like “I’m so sorry” and “I didn’t mean to do that” and before Rip could say anything like _no_ or _please don’t go_ she was out the door.

 

+

 

Sara wouldn’t respond to her texts, and it took Rip three days to track her down. She wasn’t with Nyssa, thank god. When he called Amaya, she yelled at him for interrupting her movie night with Nate. He knocked on Mick and Leonard’s door and almost got his head bashed in. Ray waved at him from the back room of the thugs’ apartment, got up from the couch, kissed Leonard on the cheek and promised to be back after done dealing with his “situation”.

 

He looked at Jax’s dorm, but she was no where to be found. She wasn’t hiding out at Thea’s apartment, and he was on his way over to check at Felicity and Oliver’s place when he got a text from her.

 

_Please stop looking for me. I’m sorry. – S_

He turned around immediately, finally knowing where Sara was.

 

+

 

Two hours later saw him aggressively ringing on Ray’s doorbell, as impatient as ever. Ray finally opened the door, looking surprised. “Rip! It’s so good to see you,” he said, “What brings you-“

 

Rip pushed by Ray, stepping into the apartment. “Where is she Raymond?” asked Rip.

 

Ray smiled nervously and scratched the back of his head. “I- I don’t know who you’re talking about.”

 

“Raymond, _where is she_!”

 

“I’m right here Rip.” He turned around to see Sara looking at him. Ray looked at her apologetically before she said, “Don’t worry about it Ray, it’s fine. Do you mind heading over to Len’s for a little bit?”

 

Ray nodded, giving a quick “Bye guys,” before heading out the door.

 

“Why are you here?” asked Sara, giving Rip a small, sad smile.

 

“Why did you leave?” countered Rip, angrily.

 

She laughed. “Well, it’s straight to the point with you, isn’t it?”

 

“Don’t try to change the subject Sara. Why did you leave?”

 

She sighed. “I met Nyssa the night you told me… well you know,” Rip nodded. The night he had told her he loved her. “I went to a bar and got really drunk. We slept together, and every night after that for a week.”

 

Rip gagged. “Why are you telling me this?”

 

“There’s a point okay? We started dating. Everything was good for a time. Except, then I realized some things. She _liked_ watching Lethal Weapon and wouldn’t complain every time it was on. She humored my existential questions rather than telling me why they were impossible.”

 

“Sounds like she was perfect for you,” Rip muttered.

 

“No!” Sara said, almost yelling, “That’s exactly the point! All those things, and she wasn’t perfect. She wasn’t perfect, because she wasn’t you.” Rip’s mouth formed a small “oh” shape, but Sara continued before he could say anything. “I just really missed being friends with you. So a year ago I showed up on your doorstep to tell you I wanted to be friends again, and thank god you said yes. Fast-forward a month, and even though we’re not hanging out as much, I’m talking about you constantly. Nyssa gets jealous, and starts a two month argument that ends with us breaking up.”

 

Rip tried to open his mouth to say something, but Sara interrupted him. “Shut up Rip, I’m not done yet. So we break up, and I start living with you. Except I don’t know how to act around you anymore. You don’t seem to be as into me as you used to, and I don’t know how to act now that I like you. And then we had our first movie night.”

 

Rip breathed. “That was a fun night.”

 

Sara laughed. “Yes it was. It was also the night I realized I was completely fucking gone on you. So I start being normal again, hoping it would remind you of your feelings. I walked around the house _fucking naked_ for you. But you didn’t respond. So I thought ‘you know what, this is fine. I can be the bigger person.’ So I tried to be. I tried so _damn hard_ to be the bigger person Rip.”

 

“So what happened?”

 

Sara laughed. He thought she might have been crying, until he realized she was doing both. “The day before we got into the fight about the trash can,” she started, before breaking down into tears.

 

Rip moved to hug her faster than he had even been before. “Hey, hey don’t worry,” he said, rubbing slow circles on her back. “I’m here. You can tell me.”

 

Sara let out another small sob before wiping her tears and continuing in an uneven voice. “Laurel was diagnosed,” she said, “With stage four cancer. The think she has a year if she’s lucky, a few months if she’s not. It’s inoperable.”

 

Rip finally understood why she had been so irritable. “Sara, I had no idea. I’m so sorry.”

 

“It’s not your fault,” she said, “I didn’t tell you. But I was angry, and looking to pick a fight, and I realized that I like you _so fucking much_ and here I was wasting my life not telling you when Laurel doesn’t have that much of a life left and I kissed you. But you didn’t kiss me back.”

 

“In my defense,” said Rip, “You only kissed me for about ten seconds. I didn’t really have a chance to kiss you back, but I like to think that I would have.”

 

Sara looked at him, wiping a tear away with her sleeve. “Wait, what?” she said.

 

He laughed. “Sara, I didn’t think it was a secret. I’ve been in love with you since before I told you two years ago, and I never stopped. When you wanted to be friends, I sidelined it because I missed you too much to never talk to you again. When you wanted to move in everything became harder, and I tried my hardest not to, but I am _still in love with you_ , Sara La-“

 

Sara cut off Rip by crashing her lips to his. Not wanting to make the same mistake he had a week about, he remembered to kiss back. They were together, finally, and everything was going to be _perfect_.

 

It wasn’t until Sara pulled back, crying again, the Rip realized not everything was going to be perfect. Laurel still had cancer, they were still standing in the middle of Ray’s apartment, and they had a lot to figure out.

 

He pulled Sara in tight, stroking her hair. “Don’t worry,” he said softly, “We’ll figure it out.” Things may not be perfect, but at least they would be together.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> leave a comment or kudos to show you care! holla at me on tumblr : raymondpalmef.tumblr.com


End file.
